Thursday, April 14, 2005

This is a blog to promote awareness of the "Gwenihana Four," the four pseudo-harajuku girls currently serving an unspecified term in the custody of pop singer Gwen Stefani. Please consider buying a t-shirt to show your support for the cause. For freedom!

64 comments:

Anonymous
said...

I think what you're doing is very noble of you. Its not fair that Ms. Gwen is trivializing a culture and degrading innocent people for her know benefits. All I wonder is what is going to happen to them when she or her PR people get "bored" with the trend and she has these girls still by her side waiting for her command.

what about the video for holla back girl? do you have any thoughts about that specifically?

notice that there are several references to bananas in the video. also at one point one of the girls makes a gesture with her eyes, as if she is trying to use her fingers to make her asian eyes shapped like a caucasians.

honestly, does it look like the harajuku girls are being torturized or in the least bit victimized by their overnight celebrity status? i highly doubt it. gwen makes them look hot and gave them an opportunity they'd never have gotten elsewhere. go harajuku girls! -http://www.xanga.com/willariah -

Seriously, leave it alone. These girls aren't being brainwashed for crap's sake. They're back up dancers. I didn't see any T-shirts for the fly girls from "In Living Color" - and J Lo is doing quite well for herself these days...didn't hurt her!

They're not chained in Gwen's basement.

You and everyone else is blowing this out of proportion. When they're done hanging with Gwen, I'm sure they'll either get another gig or take their money and live happyily ever after.

What the hell is the point of the Gwenihana four? Making asians look more foreign than ever. I hear none of them are supposed to say a lick of English. Like they know how but aren't allowed. What a way to make asian girls look more weird than ever.

stefani is a stupid screen whore...I hate her because i love alice in wonderland and japanese everything more then life itself and she is taking all the originality out of both of them.....i hope she gets bored RIGHT NOW

Stefani's new low of cultural whoredom really amazes me. No woman should be made into a fashion accessory, no matter what her ethnicity. It really doesn't matter if they're being paid, having to trail around behind someone, not speaking and pretending to worship, that's slavery in my eyes.

I agree with a lot of people what what Stefani is doing is low but the four girls signed the contracts. No one forced them to do anything. And, since they signed the cotnracts, they agreed to all the terms in them, including not speaking English.

Gwen Stefani's CD and 4 Japanese girls is basically another form of the African-American Minstrel shows. In case you all don't know what that or JIM CROW is, it's when someone white painted their face with shoe polish and used grossly exaggerated features to portray an untrue image of black people. Gwen is doing the exact same thing, but with Japanese women. She's not painting her face, but is instead paying Japanese (and Japanese-American) girls to do her dirty work for her.

The fact that some of you are absolutely oblivious to the fact that Japanese women and Japan as a whole is being portrayed in a negative and untrue light is fucking sad. Making people get on the ground and worship you, telling other people not to talk to the girls because they're a figment of your imagination is basically saying that they aren't human, which they are, and some of you don't understand that The Harajuku 4 ARE NOT FUCKING PAWNS, nor are Japanese women OR Harajuku street teenagers.

Please remove the wool from some of your eyes, please. Also, grow some fucking balls and stop posting anonymous.

What in the world is wrong with four innocent girls making a decent (maybe more than that) living for themselves. they rnt being brainwashed. Gwen hasnt mad them her slaves. get over ur self who ever made this blog obviously has some thing against gwen or one of the harajuku girls.

One more thing. Dont u think if it was a slave ship, Eve (a black woman) would not have participated in the making of the video. Plus a slave ship would be much nicer and slaves always stayed underneath the deck of the ship thats where it was nasty. If you ask me the fact that there were cannons going off and the violence and weapons depicted pretty much screamed WE'RE ON A PIRATE SHIP! plus the pirate bratz dolls,which were just recently released make it pretty obvious too.

" WE'RE ON A PIRATE SHIP! plus the pirate bratz dolls,which were just recently released make it pretty obvious too."

you seem to be uninformed about Piracy. it isn't something that just occured during the 1600s. piracy is going on today mainly in south east asia. many ships carrying refugees are being boarded by pirates and they end up raping, killing, and enslaving women. it's actually some pretty serious shit, and that just goes further in showing the ignorance of not only gwen but many americans towards what's going on in the world.

also just because eve is black and agrees with gwen does not mean that all blacks feel the same or her actions are somehow legitimized by the agreement of ONE individual.

was black face and minstrelsy okay because no one was actually hurt or they were merely marketing an exaggerated stereotype? the danger of stereotypes lies not in their truth, but in the effect and image they portray onto a group

you all are brain dead i agree with most comments here the girls signed of thier own free will and knew what was involed before they signed yes it was a pirate ship and it is still something that is happening today and in asia but asian athouraties have to manage that we americans can only fight 3 wars at once wwe can't police the whole worl and if we did you all say we poking our nose in you affairs so i don't want here complaints that americans don't know what is going on we may have been told to stay out of it the girls are beautiful but in no way dumb niegther as some one pointed out one of these girls is a former pop star her self so you know she knew what she was getting in to and if some thing was up eve would have not been in the video. everyone is entileteled to a opinion so back off let the girls and stefani do thier jobs

So, it seems to some like the harajuku girls are 'enslaved.' Hum...funny, quaint, but hardly the case. I live at a Japanese university, and HUNDREDS of kids practice street dance every day after classes. I'm sure any one of them would KILL for the opportunity to dance for money, much less fame. (What else do they have to look forward to - life as a salaryman or office lady?) So the HJ girls only can speak Japanese - who gives a crap? Gwen probably did this so she doesn't have to grapple with any misconstrued press from her artistic cohorts. Besides - it creates mystery, something Ms. Stefani seems to like

As for objectifying asians or belittling asian culture...you're really stretching for something to whine about here. FIRST - Stefani objectifies herself, so whining that she is objectifying others seems a rather stupid argument - that's show business no matter your ethnicity. SECOND - whenever an artist attempts to add an element of ethnicity to their work someone always screams about degradation and stereotypes. Get over yourselves.

Seriously though, this sort of thing wouldn't normally bother me but jesus they're protrayed as her pets for crying out loud.

Anyone seen the very beginning of the Hollaback girl video? It starts with her taking a photo of them all looking twee, she then says something like "super kawaii" looking at them like you would a new puppy.

You get the feeling she shows them to people and says "Aren't they just adorable?"

I can picture the spoilt little girl watching MTV yelling "Mommy mommy, I want one of those cute little chinese people to go with my new shoes"

Oh just discovered this site and i am soooo sad that you were forced to stop making the T-shirts. I would love to purchase several. Is there absolutely no way of getting the old design? I despise Gwen Stefani’s current appropriation of other cultures, including that of African Americans and the Japanese. She boxes everyone into specific roles and her stereotypes only serve to further instill racist ideas into the malleable mass media saturated mind of the general American public. I hate how she references the “little hands” of the Japanese women in “Harajuku Girls”. Overseas companies actually use the racist ideology of “small and delicate hands” to market their clothing and computer chip sweatshops to US companies. What Stefani is doing is essentially the same thing. She is profiting off of a created image of how a certain demographic of people are suppose to look and behave. I saw that she just released an HP “Harajuku Lovers” digital camera. Gross. Wasn’t the appropriation of Japanese street fashion in her “LAMB” line enough? What in the hell happened to Gwen Stefani? She was once a real musician with actual talent and the ability to write decent music. I liked her because she seemed to have confidence in who she was as a woman. She rocked small natural breasts with pride and convinced a generation of female teenagers that we are not “just girls”. Now she has a horrible boob job- is anorexically thin- has absolutely no musical talent- and is exploitative. I hope she wakes up and smells the early mid-life crisis.

whoever made this site shud go fuck themselves,i love gwen and the 'harajuku girls' and i wish u ppl wud get a life and stop making dumbass rumors like "they're not allowed to speak english" where do u ppl hear this shit? Gwen has given these DANCERS jobs! they aren't forced to do anything!if gwen was racist wouldnt she not like japanese ppl? u don't make sense!in the song HG she is basically promoting their 'wicked style' and i love the way she dresses and her tits are not fake

Teachalori, do you want a cookie? The fact remains that though you may LIVE in Japan, you are not Japanese by any stretch of the imagination. I, on the other hand, was born and raised in Yokohama, Japan, and I spent a good chunk of my life there. I have reason to be offended. Just because there is a small percentage of Japanese that like Gwen's image, she is presenting a stereotype that most (if not all) Japanese people in general are that way - hyper, demented fashion-horses. We aren't. We are people with a wide range of emotions, just like WHITE AMERICANS.

Or don't you remember this line in "Rich Girl"..., something along the lines of BUYING 4 Harajuku girls and dressing them up wicked. Key word here - BUYING. You buy them as if they're merchandise or animals? That's horrible. Asian women and culture is NOT FOR SALE.

Just remember - Just because you may live on a Japanese campus, doesn't, by definition, make you one.

STACEY, you should shut the fuck up and listen - they are contractually obligated NOT TO SPEAK ENGLISH IN THE SIGHT OF OTHERS. Also, she didn't just give them jobs, the girls can turn her down. They've already done major gigs - Gwen didn't make them anymore famous. Know your facts before talking big shit.

The lyric is as follows:I'd get me four Harajuku girls toInspire me and they'd come to my rescue

So where's your key word now?

When people treat this as though it were some kind of cause, that is when these women become objectified. You are all treating them as if they were vulnerable idiots, who aren't capable of making decisions. You guys are guilty of the same thing you're accusing Gwen Stefani of...seriously, open your eyes.

The "Harajuku Girls" are professional dancers. They are paid to look pretty. Gwen calls them her inspiration.

In her new clothing lines and music videos, Gwen uses inspiration from Japan, namely Harajuku - a high-energy, high-fashion area in Tokyo. Teens and young adults go there to dress up, shop, hear music and just hang out and look pretty. Many North American youngsters know about Harajuku. Just because Gwen Stefani is interested in it does not mean that we all have an "even more" warped view of Japan.

When Much Music went to Harajuku and asked the teens around there if they knew who Gwen Stefani was, all answers were no.

Gwen Stefani is just trying new things. So what if she dresses up and pays special attention to her four main back-up dancers? She does not keep them as slaves. They're obviously there of their own free will.

Either way, the point is this: you're taking this too far. Just as Gwen may be taking her Harajuku faze too far, you are blowing this entire thing into space. If these girls were being treated badly, don't you think the media would pounce on it in a heartbeat? She didn't just whisk four japanese teens off the streets and take them in as her personal dolls.

As a Japanese guy, I feel you are making fun of those professional Japanese dancers by calling them "Gwenihana", and helping increase the image of "submissive Asian girls" as a result. If you think you live in a country of democracy, respect their freedom to choose and continue a job as performers even if it's a background dancer. After all, they are not forced at all and willing to do their job.

and ITA with the people pointing out that the dancers signed on of their own free will--I mean, people NEVER subscribe to the very principles that keep them 'exoticized' and stereotyped, that's just silly! that's like saying there are female misogynists!

you know, i didn't realize that gwen's harajuku girls were a racist gesture until finding this website.

in fact, i didn't even think that it might be a racist thing... until finding this website.

why must we cast a racist light onto a group of backup dancers and then blow it out of proportion? its people like this website's creator, the person who said the pirate ship is a slave ship (which is the most hilarious thing i've ever heard... im going to spread that to all my friends) and to all you people who are offended by the harajuku girls. shit, they're getting paid to do what they love... to dance. you think they give a damn about anything else? neither should you. it saddens me that people because so defensive when it comes to racism... it's such an easy way out.

This is total bullshit. If you don't like it don't look at it cause you can't do anything about it. They are already under contract so they have to play their part. Under the circumstances of you CAN'T DO ANYTHING just ignore it.

Wow, some of the people who make comments like "OMG YOU GUYS ARE WAY-OVER REACTING", should probably not be armchair internet critics... let's just say, you're none too bright...

She should just get 4 white guys in black-face and name them, FUNKY, SCHOOLY, HIPHOP, & SAMBO...

I don't think these girls need to be freed from anything other than poor career choices... nonetheless, regurgitating Gwen's idea of HAIR-UKA 15 year old's Cutie MAGAZINE street-geek-culture, doing it in the most extremely white racist way possible, and then selling it back to US like some sort of Fashion ambassador...

To the person that didn't have enough balls to use their name, I still have a keyword for my problem - Why would you talking about getting 4 girls, and naming them Love, Angel, Music and Baby for anyway? That implies that we as Japanese women are pets, that are only there as people who dress in an exotic style, are to fawn and worship any American who comes overseas, and are there to be treated as human pets. What is racist is that we have to be viewed as constantly bubbly and moronic people, who are always dressed in Harajuku street fashions. Also, the people that do dress in Harajuku street fashions aren't to be sterotyped either. They aren't bubbly and they aren't sheep. They do have personalities and minds of their own, something you and Gwen refuse to understand.

Hate to break it to you, but I'm far from bubbly, and I rarely dress in fashions like that.

My eyes are wide fucking open, and I think I would know a racist stereotype of my people when I see it.

anamonster, again, you don't even know racial stereotypes even if it bit you in the ass. So, to you, Al Jolson and black minstrel shows weren't racist, Sambo isn't racist, those stamps over in Mexico that caused so much shit weren't racist, etc.

They may be there of their own free will, but saying that perpetuates the idea that it's okay to continue imagery like that in an attempt to exploit japanese people, just because 4 other japanese-american girls signed a contract to be treated like shit. We are not here to be bought and sold, sweetheart, so you can stop that talk right here.

Notice how these threads want us to buy shirts and stuff.. Where will the money go and be used for? TO BUY BAIL? Might be a scam targeting peoples' feelings against Gwen... There are other ways to show your support. Don't throw your money if you don't know the people or where the money is going.

Yo, as an Asian American, I think this whole thing is stupid. Hell, I enjoyed Gwen Stefani's CD myself. I thought it was a well done piece of pop music. However, I do think it's a bit silly that they can't speak English in public, but I don't see that as racist so much as it is "performance". Also, I don't think that she is trying to represent Japanese people as a whole or even the Harajuku fashion industry, but I do think that that's the way it is perceived by the majority of her audience. Does the blame for the misconception lie with her, or with her fans?

interesting read... I would not have found it if Gwen had not sparked my interest to find out more about "harajuku". Let's hope I'm not the only one to recognize the difference between entertainment and learning about something I would not have heard about before... what a wonderful world.

its terrible, Iv been able to read only half of the page and Iv to write R U crazy ppl?? Whats problem on taking photos and super kawaii. Its the same u will take photos of ur friends and yeah cool picture. Theres nothing more in it. Just watch the clip and differ reality and whats the clip.

Interesting topic. I'm Asian American so I can understand that some people may look at Gwen's new image in a negative way. But as a big Gwen Stefani fan, I've listen to her song "harajuku girls" and if you listen to the lyrics, Gwen is actually admiring and is fascinated by the Japanese culture. She mention that no culture is as great as the Japanese culture, not even America's style of culture can top the Japanese culture. Don't turn this into a negative thing, when Gwen is actually admiring the Japanese culture through her lyrics and songs. She has put Japan style of music at the top of her list in her album.

Lyrics to "Harajuku girls"

Were mono - there's me, there's you (hoko-ten)In a pedestrian paradiseWhere the catwalk got its claws (meow)A subculture in a kaleidoscope of fashionProwl the streets of Harajuku (irasshaimase)Super lovers, tell me where you got yours(at the super lovers store)Yoji Yamamoto, I'm hanging with the localsWhere the catwalk got its claws, all you fashion know-it-allsWith your underground malls in the world of HarajukuPutting on a show, when you dress up in your clothesWild hair color and cell phonesYour accessories are dead on

Harajuku Girls you got the wicked styleI like the way that you are, I am your biggest fanHarajuku Girls you got the wicked styleI like the way that you are, I am your biggest fan

Harajuku girls, I'm looking at you girlsYou're so original girlsYou got the look that makes you stand outHarajuku Girls, I'm looking at you girlsYou mix and match it girlsYou dress so fly and just parade around (arigato)

I'm fascinated by the Japanese fashion sceneJust an American girl, in the Tokyo streetsMy boyfriend bought me a Hysteric Glamour shirtThey're hard to find in the states, got me feeling coutureWhat's that you got on? Is it Comme des Garcons?Vivienne Westwood can't go wrong, mixed up with second handclothes (Let's not forget about John Galliano) (no)Flipped the landscape when Nigo made A Bathing ApeI got expensive taste (oh, well) guess I better save up (chotakai)

Harajuku Girls you got the wicked styleI like the way that you are, I am your biggest fan (She's actually a big fan of the four Japanese girls)

Work it, express it, live it, command your styleCreate it, design itNow let me see you work itCreate it, design itNow let me see you work it

You bring style and color all around the world. (You HarajukuGirls)You bring style and color all around the world. (You HarajukuGirls)

You're looking so distinctive like D.N.A., like nothing I'veever seen in the U.S.A.Your underground culture, visual grammarThe language of your clothing is something to encounterA Ping-Pong match between eastern and westernDid you see your inspiration in my latest collection?Just wait 'til you get your little hands on L.A.M.B.,'Cause it's (super kawaii), that means (super cute in Japanese)The streets of Harajuku are your catwalk (bishoujo you're sovogue)That's what you drop

Gwen is very fascinated by the Japanese culture, she's far from exploiting it. I'm also quite fascinated by the Japanese culture and I'm shocked that it took so long for people to come out and recognized how Japan culture has influence many other countries, even America. Anime is huge in America and thanks to Japan new technology is always brought fourth to the America's culture. Japanese don't realized this, they maybe fascinated by America's great culture, but America has always been greater fascinated by Japanese culture.Mainstream media(expecially in America) has ignore the Asian culture for years, they depict Asians as just another person in a kungfu movie or can't sing like William Hung. Asians have no voice in mainstream media in America. It's time that a Caucasian recognized the Asian culture.If you haven't notice, Gwen as also lost many white fans who think she's going ghetto with her new image. And some people don't like the fact that she has place the Japanese culture in her front theme of her album. She has place recognition for the Japanese culture on her album. Also many Gwen Stefani loyal fans thought it was great that Gwen has mix the Japanese culture into her songs. It's about time that a celebrity has given recognition to the Asian culture.

Ok, all you people need to get a life. I'm Asian and I feel no discrimination or belittling whatsoever about what Gwen Stefanie is doing. Nobody forces her back up dancers to signed the contract. They're making more money than all of us Internet geeks (on this blog) combined.

I'm sure most Japanese in Japan feel no inferiority complex toward their Westerners. They're rich, they're innovating, and their anime rocks. I'm more thrilled that an Asian is on an American music video, back up or not, than no Asian at all.

Speaking of which, we should be more outrage that MTV has not put a single Asian male on the Real world or any other show for that matter. Ok, the guy named "yes" was Asian, but he looks more mixed and he had disappeared from the face of the Earth.

I think there are more East Asians in the U.S. than gays, yet every single real world episode has at least 1 to to 2 gay people, and always a black person, but never, ever an Asian "male" (not counting Yes) on there.

You're really taking this far too seriously. Gwen is not an anthropologist, nor does she claim to be one. She's a pop star. Since when does popular culture take anything seriously? Look around you, stereotypes are rampant in pop culture.

Anyone who would watch the hollaback girl video and take it as social commentary on Japanese street youth has bigger problems.

Btw, posting as anonymous is irrelevent. This is the fucking internet. Everyone here is anonymous.

Your all wacks! (apart from the ones that support Gwen Stefani). Making this into way too big a deal. It's simply a trend, it'll pass and we shall never hear of the four girls ever again. Geez, what a waste of money those shirts you people are making. Hope you don't take that "you people" offensively...

wow. let's all get our panties in a twist about a pointless bubblegum blip in pop culture. the fact that someone actually took the time to dedicate an actual blog to this bullshit and then have this many people whine and bitch over it? you all should be fucking ashamed of yourself. grow up, read a book [without pictures!], turn off the tv, get off your computer and your lazy asses and do something to make the world better you pathetic worthless pieces of shit.

people are dying in all corners of the world from starvation, diseases that can be cured and you're fucking arguing over four stupid women who signed contracts to be a rich woman's entourage.

Ya'll need to back up and look at the industry. Getting a gig as a dancer is not slavery, it's a break. The Harajuku Girls are professional dancers doing what they trained (and dreamed) for years to do.

Nevermind the stereotype blah, blah...Harajuku Girls rock that shit! They deserve the hype. Stephani is probably the best gig they'll ever get.

okay really this is ridiculous, you people act like they are her slaves? its a free country here, if they didnt wanna do what they are doing they wouldnt have agreed? they are not puppets, maybe she just likes the asian culture for christ sakes, and perhaps it play an interest with her? get a life. you make a blog for something this stupid? wow. they are back up dancers, if they didnt want to be, thenm they wouldnt. and for say who wouldnt want fame? im sure gwen stefani treats them like regular people but who are you to judge something you dont see in doors?